More User Reviews:

3.5/5 rDev -20.3%

I know this a very highly rated IPA, but I am not a fan. I have tried this beer on tap and out of a bottle. It pours a beautiful golden color with a rich creamy head , but I find the aftertaste a bit harsh.

Poured a hazy, golden-orange hue with a sustained, foamy white-head. This seems to be the typical American IPA look. I could not locate a freshness date but there was a number code on the label that may indicate the ale was bottled on the 213 day of 2014.

A very fresh and bittersweet fruity aroma greets the olfactory upon opening the bottle, along with a faint piney, bitter aroma.

The flavor has a surprisingly soft and mellow, citrusy start with a lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue. Very flavorful, but not what I expected given the reviews and especially the aroma. Of course, the bottle is a few months old.

Light to medium bodied with a somewhat thin mouth feel. The citrusy bitterness does linger on the palate.

This is another fine example of the American IPA: full flavored, high in alcohol but so very drinkable.

Gold in color with tiny bubbles rising to the surface. Off white head that froths around the top and settles to a slight layer of bigger bubbles. Lacing is evident along the edges of glass as it slides down. Smell is of pine and some citrus is found in the background. Tastes of pine, grass, citrus and maybe some bitter hops are dancing on the tongue. Smooth on the palate and slightly creamy with the bitterness finishing it off. Overall, a fantastic IPA to indulge upon!

Tried this a couple of times but don't think it's worth the price or its vaunted status. A bit lighter and at least as complex as a Dogfish 60, I'll give it that. A fine IPA but the price just grinds my shorts. I also prefer the richness of the Two-Hearted at a bit lower price point.

It pours a clear and very nice straw gold with a 2 finger head of foam. Plenty of lacing here as well. Very good head retention.

The smell is..whoah...the citrus hits my nose buds first but there's a lot of *other* things going on. Tropical fruit goes hand in hand with grapefruit and I can also smell some malty sweetness. Great nose...now, if I'll just point the glass away from my nose and point it towards my mouth. ;^)

First sip and what a treat. The grapefruit is there in big abundance as are flavours of apricot, peach, and oh yeah, mango; it has a huge presence here and boy does *that* ever work well. Wow. Just before the finish, I get a nice helping of pine but the finish itself, for me, returns to that darn tasty fruitiness that really hits my palate on just the right notes. Again, wow.

It has a near perfect mouthfeel for me and that's helped by a fairly light job of carbonation. Dang, I better slow down here, not because of the abv but because it's so damn tasty and I don't want to be looking at an empty bottle and glass! Yum!

Bottom line: Here's a world class IPA if I've ever tasted one. If you get the chance to try it, don't hesitate for one moment!!

Appearance-
Golden yellow, which isn't my favorite color. I'd like more amber or orange in my IPAs. Could be more clear, but I like the frothy head that others have described: it builds quickly and then dissipates right after you have had time to take it in.

Smell-
Here's an interesting one. I get lots of hops, then some sulfur (rotten eggs, skunk?), along with some grapefruit and other citrus that others have put forth. You might think that would be disgusting, but it is quite interesting as a matter of fact, so high marks.

Taste-
I was a little let down here, but it is still quite good. Thin to me, because the grapefruit and the hops dominate. I don't get the pine that others describe, and that is my favorite characteristic of my favorite IPAs (Lagunitas Maximus, Stone Ruination). A little lemon and apricot later on. Definitely good, but there is not much of a counterbalance in the taste.

Mouthfeel-
Smooth, crisp, very nice. I like the superlingering hops. I'm in full agreement with my raving colleagues.

Drinkability-
Goes down nice and easy. The smooth crispness makes me think I'd have no problem reaching for more, but the taste doesn't blow me away quite enough to not want to try other brews in a pub.

In summary, very good stuff, just not the most balanced IPA ever to me. Like the crisp, strong hops, but I want more pine and caramel.

T -- Lots of hops creates a nice bitterness. Unfortunately, every time I've had this, the only thing I really get from it is bitterness. I notice slight hints of citrus or pine, but they're always overrun by bitter. I

O -- A very good beer, but I prefer Jai Alai. For the price, I don't feel it presents a good value, especially given what else is out there. I keep trying this in SWFL and it just hasn't impressed me too much. In fact, as I try more IPAs and other different styles, each successive tasting makes me think less and less of this beer. Perhaps someday I'll be in San Diego and get to try it ridiculously fresh and it will change my mind. Until then....

I have no idea why this beer rates so high with everyone. Maybe they are not very experienced in drinking a variety of IPAs. Compared to coors light this is a 97, but as far as IPAs go it is as generic as they come. No hop flavor other than bitterness, no malt, crappy carbonation. Overall, nothing special.

I used to really love Sculpin. I would periodically stop by the Scripps Ranch brewery and fill up a growler at least once a month. Many times I'd stop by the brewery just to get a pint. Life was good, and I was excited to have such a world class brew within a few minutes of my house.

Then something changed. I'm not sure what - the hops, the blending, whatever - I'm not a brewer so I can't explain it. I'd say it happened about a year ago. The aroma changed. The taste drastically changed. It just wasn't the beer I fell in love with. Tropical notes all but vanished. The bitterness was heightened. The fresh piney hints turned sour and "urinal-like."

Maybe my tastes have changed. I guess it's possible. Maybe I need to visit the Home Brew Mart location for a final test since all of this ranting is based from multiple, different growlers and pints at the Scripps tasting bar. But each pint and growler fill pushes me away. Last night I did the unthinkable: drain poured a 1/2 growler of this mess.

If there really is an alternate recipe, please BP go back to your roots. Let me once again give this golden drink the score it deserves.

Pretty much the best IPA I've ever had. The Ballast Point flagship beer really is amazing. A nice citrus flavored hop mixed with some sappy piney notes as well. Very balanced and refreshing. They charge a pretty penny for six-packs, but it really is worth the cost. Golden tint and crisp taste are great!

If I am ever on deathrow, and I am allowed a last meal and can choose the beverage- I want a fresh bottle or can of Sculpin to be my drink. I grabbed a six pack of cans locally with a canned date of 5-20-14- just over two weeks old. The first six pack of Sculpin I had was about 3 months old, and boy was there a difference. The fresh Sculpin was the best ipa I have ever had. It was crisp and clean with the perfect notes and bitterness. West coast IPAs- fanfreakingtastic.

Served in a nonic pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As served the beer is a clear golden orange color with a ½" firm, fluffy white head that recedes to leave patches of foam clinging to the sides of the glass, a ring around the liquid and a patch of foam on the surface of the liquid. Sipping leaves some nice lacing. At least some of the foam and lacing persist through out the beer and there are sticky patterns of lacing on the glass even to the end.

Smell: The aroma is dominated by tropical fruits with a lot of pineapple and mango and is simply a pleasure to sniff. There is also some citrus present but it is more tangerine than bitter grapefruit. Underlying the fruits there is a nice touch of light sweet malt.

Taste: The flavors are crisp, clean and are pretty much what is expected from the nose--a citric, pineapple and mango delight. There is no bite from the hops, just a smooth and balanced bitterness that is fruity, citric, piney, bitter and sweet all at once.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied and smooth with consistent, persistent moderate carbonation. The finish is medium to long and is one of those where things fade a way so smoothly you just don't notice it happening until they are gone.

Drinkability: This beer is so drinkable that I finished it off in about half the time I would normally take with an IPA of the strength of this one. There is not even a trace of harshness in the hop bitterness. I definitely want another one and expect I'll do so without hesitation next time I have a chance. This IPA is now in my top few for the style and I'd love to be able to do a side-by-side tasting with this one, Bell's Two Hearted, and Founders Centennial.